A Break in Reality
by Withoutatracelover996
Summary: When a startling case affects the team personally, Garcia realizes that the situation is being controlled by a FanFiction story. Desperately, she tries to prevent the death of two of her colleagues. When it comes down to a vote, who will survive?
1. Chapter 1

**So I've had this story tootling around in my mind for a while now, and since I'm on winter break, I thought I'd better write it down! I hope you enjoy it.**

Reid leaned back in his chair, his eyes flitting across the bullpen. "Eight-thousand, two-hundred and twenty-two point ninety-six."

Emily applauded, "Nineteen seconds. The record for that riddle, before you of course, was nine minutes."

"Thank you," Reid smirked proudly. "Really, it's simple mathematics. If you multiply the – "

"Reid," Emily interrupted. "I don't want to know how it works."

"Oh, sorry," Reid said, turning his attention to Hotch as the rest of the team entered the bullpen.

"Hello everyone, I trust you've had a relaxing weekend," Hotch said.

A chorus of "yes-sirs" followed.

"Good. Garcia," Hotch motioned.

Garcia hurried to the front of the round table, clicking her remote and turning her back to the screen of images. "Ok, well, as you can see, our UNSUB is quite – brutal. He kills in pairs, and bludgeons his victims. The killings are all in the Seattle area, and the police there have requested our assistance."

"Thanks, Garcia. Wheels up in thirty," Hotch rose from the table.

* * *

><p>"Well he doesn't' appear to feel any remorse, all of the victims are exposed with their eyes open," Morgan pointed out.<p>

"Do you think he's a single UNSUB, or could it be a team? Killing in pairs is risky, it requires a lot of control and power," Reid said.

"Look at the marks on the victims, the cuts on their hands, that's only one signature. I'd say this was a single UNSUB, unless his partner isn't killing," Rossi suggested.

"Guys?" Garcia flickered onto the screen with a confused look on her face.

"What did you find, Garcia?" Hotch asked.

Garcia looked at her screen, then back at Hotch, her mouth gaping a little. Shaking it off, she spoke to Hotch, "Um… yes. Ok, the autopsy reports say that the victims all had traces of poison in their stomachs? Apparently, it was a home batch. Rat poison, various cleaning agents and a whole bunch of other nasty chemicals that I can't pronounce."

"Can you try? Garcia?" Reid asked.

"Botulinal neurotoxin, shigella, palytoxin, ricin and aflatoxins?" Garcia guessed.

"Those are mostly household toxins, but I don't know how he would get the victims to ingest them," Reid frowned.

"You hold a gun to their heads and tell them to drink it," Prentiss said.

"No, it's more than that. The toxins you described were simple as viral bacteria's, and mold that grows on nuts," Reid shook his head.

"Whatever it was, it didn't kill them," Garcia said, speaking slowly as she frowned again.

"Those toxins would only make you sick after a prolonged exposure, even that isn't guaranteed if the victim's immune system is strong enough. The cleaning agents and rat poison would be the things that would kill a person. You said the victims died from bludgeoning?" Reid asked.

"Yep," Garcia said, not fully paying attention to the conversation.

"Anyone exposed to that kind of poison would almost certainly be killed within minutes," Reid said.

"Maybe the UNSUB gave it to them after they died," Morgan suggested.

"Garcia, are you all right?" Hotch asked.

"What? Oh yes, sorry sir. Garcia, over and out," the screen flicked off.

"We're beginning our ascent into Seattle. Approximate arrival time is three-thirty, Pacific Time," The pilot said over the intercom. "Please fasten your seatbelts."

* * *

><p>"This is spooky," Garcia said, her eyes darting across her computer's screen. Turning it off, she put her head in her hands, "I have to get a new hobby. I think you might be losing it, Pen."<p>

**Thanks for your comments!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for your review, bouncinggoldfish, I appreciate it :)**

Morgan stepped off of the plane and shivered, "I thought this was Seattle, not Alaska," he grumbled.

"Actually, Seattle has a 76 percent lower temperature than the average October 9th in Alaska," Reid said, pulling out his umbrella to protect himself from the fat raindrops.

Morgan gave Reid a look, while the young genius studied the map in his hands.

"Boys, boys, please," JJ smiled, hugging her arms around her waist as the cold weather took hold, "No fighting."

* * *

><p>"This is Officer Horman, he's the officer in command for this case," Hotch introduced.<p>

"Thanks, Agent Hotchner. Well everyone, I'm sure you've been briefed, and we're honored to have you with us," Officer Horman said, shaking everyone's hand emphatically.

"Thank you Officer Horman, where can we set up?" Rossi asked.

"Of course," Horman said, leading the team into a brightly lit room with a large circular table in the corner. "Please make yourselves at home, and feel free to move the furniture as it suits you."

"Thank you," Hotch said, cueing the officer to smile and nod as he exited the room.

"Ok, Rossi and Morgan, you're going to visit the latest crime scene. JJ, you and I are heading to talk to the victim's families. Reid and Prentiss, I need you to go over the connections between victims. Did they know each other? What was similar about them?" Hotch said. "Is everyone clear?"

After Hotch was satisfied that everyone knew what they were doing, the team dispersed.

* * *

><p>"The bodies were found right here, they showed signs of being restrained, and their faces were completely unrecognizable," Rossi said, reading from a file.<p>

Morgan kneeled down to get a closer look at the body lines drawn onto the pavement, "Why did they remove the bodies?"

"They were already partly decomposed when they were found, and the smell from that, plus the vomit and blood was overwhelming the neighbours. After everything was thoroughly cataloged, the bodies were taken to the morgue," Rossi explained.

"Look at the way victim one was positioned," Morgan pointed.

"He's in the fetal position," Rossi said, craning his neck to get a better look.

"Victim number two was helping number one, it's almost like the UNSUB killed her in action," Morgan said, noting the positioning of the bodies.

"We really need to go to the mortician," Rossi said. "It's impossible to really see what went on here without the bodies themselves."

"Well," Morgan said as he stood, "Is there anything else we need to do here, or can we go now?"

Rossi took another look around the abandoned warehouse, "No, we're good to go."

* * *

><p>"Aliayah was amazing, she and Tom were going to get married," Mrs. Lunsford said, stifling tears. "She had just finished college," she finished with a squeak.<p>

"I know this is difficult, Mrs. Lunsford. And I'm sorry, but we need to know if Aliayah or Tom had any enemies," JJ said gently, reaching out to take the grieving mother's hand.

"Like I said, Aliayah was a sweetheart. If she ever had any problems with anyone, she would have told me," Mrs. Lunsford said, looking JJ straight in the eye.

"Ok, what about Tom?" Hotch asked.

"I honestly wouldn't know. Aliayah had only known him for a few months before they decided to get married. I tried to talk her out of it but she seemed so in love. She wouldn't listen to me," Mrs. Lunsford said, putting her head in her hands.

"What about Tom's family," Hotch asked softly, "Do they live around here?"

"Yes, they live up town, about forty minutes from here. Janice and George Hopkins, 841 Nigle street," Mrs. Lunsford recited.

"Thank you, ma'am. We'll stay in touch," JJ said, patting the woman's shoulder once more before following Hotch out of the house.

* * *

><p>"Tom Hopkins and Aliayah Lunsford, Bianca Morcombe and Jonathan Bagnall, Lisa Reynolds and Kyron Jones. They were all caucasian, young, and middle class," Prentiss said.<p>

"They were all very smart people," Reid said. "All of the had graduated from a post secondary institution with surprisingly good grades. Look at this, Tom graduated from Harvard last year with a 4.0 GPA, Aliayah from Brunswick college at the top of her literature course, and all of the other victims have the same story."

"How would the UNSUB know that?" Prentiss asked.

"He would have to be able to pull their files, it's not too difficult though. He would only have to know who he's looking for," Reid said.

"Hang on, Garcia's calling," Prentiss said, "Garcia, you're on speaker."

"Hello!" Garcia said cheerfully. "Ok, well I took a look at the victims and I can't seem to find anyone that they all had in common..."

"I don't think the victims knew the UNSUB," Garcia and Prentiss said at the same time.

"Spooky," Garcia said.

"That's the second Coke you owe me this week, Garcia," Prentiss laughed.

"I knew you were going to say that," Garcia said, dead serious.

"That's because I want my Coke," Prentiss said.

"Guys, something weird is going on," Garcia said.

"Hang on Garcia, can we call you back? Something's happening over here, Officer Horman's asking us to come outside," Reid said, frowning at the urgency on the officer's face.

"Um..." Garcia said, her mind racing, "Ok, I guess that's fine, I'll tell you about it later."

"Bye, Garcia."

"Talk to you..." the phone hung up and Garcia stared at her screen, "later."

**Thank you for your thoughts, they're great to read! **


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